Fireworks and Regrets
by superavidwriter
Summary: Gajeel, finding himself still torn up about torturing Levy so long ago, is afraid to tell her how he feels. What happens when he asks her to be his date for the Guild's upcoming party? Rated T for possible future lemons. will be more chapters to come.


"Keep up squirt! We're almost to the guild hall." Said Gajeel as he hung back and let his partner catch up. He had been on an A class mission for a while with the small, but skilled mage, Levy McGarden. He was glad to be back home. Yes home… the place he had once openly attacked while a part of Phantom Lord, was now, almost nine years later, his home. It was almost enough to bring a tear to his eye. ALMOST.

"Don't call me squirt! Jeez…" she shouted, then crossed her arms and pouted. She jogged up ahead of him towards the guild hall's entrance. It really didn't take her companion long to catch up, at a brisk walk no less. Levy was glad to be seeing her teammates again. It had been almost a month since they'd left.

As she pushed open the doors, Jet and Droy rushed up to her, welcoming her back with the usual over-expressed enthusiasm. Jet was the loudest, shouting over everyone else. "Welcome back Levy! We missed you!"

"Thanks guys. It's nice to know that SOMEONE enjoys my company." she said, cutting her eyes at Gajeel.

"Levy! Hey! Move Droy! You're in my WAY!" said a familiar blonde, busty, bright eyed celestial spirit mage, as she pushed her way past team shadow gear's male members. "Levy! The guild is having a special festival tonight, and you NEED to come!"

"How come? I don't really feel up to a festival. I mean, why go through the trouble of getting dressed up if the only ones who're gonna pay attention to me are Jet and Droy?" she replied, stretching with her arms out behind her head.

"Well, you see, tonight is the festival of love. There's gonna be a fancy party and then there'll be a concert and after that, fireworks!" Lucy said, giving Levy a little wink. "You and I both know why you should go, and who you want to take."

Gajeel leaned in, listening carefully to what the two girls were saying. The festival of love huh? Well, it was pretty obvious who HE wanted to ask. But the only question was, did she feel the same? Probably not, seeing as she had boys lining up to date her, and they were almost all more attractive than he was. As expected, Levy's teammates started fussing over her, trying to get her to go with them. Gajeel tried to ignore it, but he just couldn't. Stepping over, he addressed the small mage. "Levy… you, uh…"

"What? Spit it out Gajeel. Did you find another good mission?"

Something twitched in his chest, like someone had snipped the string holding him back. "No. I wanted to ask if you would go to the festival with me tonight."

Jet and Droy stepped in front of Levy, shielding her from the metal dragon slayer.

Jet spoke first. "Why would she go with you?"

"Yeah! She's our teammate. If she would go with anyone, it would be us!"

"Get lost Gaj-" The speedster stopped as Levy stepped in front of them and approached Gajeel, smiling.

"Yes. I would love to go with you." she couldn't stop smiling at the mangy looking dragon slayer who towered over her, who was also grinning ear to ear, like some kind of maniac. To any other person, it would look like just that, a maniacal grin. But she knew better. Beneath those feral looking fangs, emanated a warmth that was for her and her alone.

"I'm gonna grab a drink with Salamander. I'll see you tonight."

"All right Gajeel. Later."

As Gajeel walked over to the bar, he spotted his fellow dragon slayer hunched over, sipping some light beer. He looked dreadful, like he was depressed about something. Lifting his head, he grinned pathetically. "Hey metal head. So, finally got with Levy huh?"

"I haven't 'got with' her yet. Its just a date. What about you? I haven't seen you like this since you lost to Grey. Did Lucy turn you down for the festival?" he plopped down on a stool next to Natsu, flagging down Mirajane so he could order. "The usual, hard liquor over two allow nuts, one steel bolt."

"Whats the deal with that? Do different metals taste differently?"

"Yeah. I guess it's like how you describe Romeo's flames. The yellow ones are putrid and gross, while others taste good. Cast iron tastes like meat that's been over cooked, while copper has this dull, sour taste. Steel tastes like its been roasted, and titanium is the beef jerky of metals. It's tough and dry, but has a great flavor."

"Gotcha. And to answer your question: no, Lucy hasn't rejected me. Yet. But if I ask her, she definitely will." he sighed, downing the last of his beer, and ordered another. "I mean, look at that! She's gorgeous, and I'm… this."

"Jeez salamander, never seen you like this. You're the most outgoing guy I know, it's starting to get me down. Honestly, 'that' is better than 'this.'" he said, pointing at Natsu, then himself. "You won't know if you never ask."

"I want to, really! But I just can't find the courage." he sighed, then downed what remained in his second bottle. Standing up, he turned towards the direction of the door. "I'm going home."

"OH NO." Gajeel grabbed the collar of Natsu's shirt, and pulled him off in the direction of Lucy. "If I can ask Levy, you can ask Lucy."

"Gajeel don't! Let go! I'm not asking her!"

"Asking who what?" the familiar cheerful voice stopped Natsu's struggling all together. "Natsu?"

Gajeel turned Natsu towards the object of their previous conversation. "Pinky's got something to say. He's terrified that you'll hate him for it. Speak."

"Well, guess I can't run away now…" he muttered with a sigh. Then, straightening up, he continued. "Lucy, will you go with me tonight?"

A broad grin spread across her lips. This was the perfect chance to tease Natsu the way he always did to her. "Go where? You know, I was planning on going somewhere by myself tonight…" she stood up, fanning herself with her hand. She purposefully took a provocative stance, thrusting her hips forward, and leaning back slightly, with one leg bent. "Well? You gonna say anything, or are you just gonna stand there?"

"Um… t-to the festival…" he replied, blushing at Lucy's newfound sensuality. "I mean, I understand if you don't want to, but Gajeel made me ask…"

"Hmm… I dunno Natsu… you're always teasing me, and you've never even given me a reason to like you." Lucy closed her eyes and turned her head away, while Natsu's face fell to the floor. He started to turn away, but Gajeel stopped him. "But I don't need a reason to like you. And boys always tease the girl they like, right? Natsu, I was going to ask you if didn't speak up before tonight. Of course I'll go to the festival with you. You still have your suit, right? Wear that, because everyone is dressing up."

"You too Gajeel." Levy piped up, standing in her chair, so she could lean over her friend's shoulder. "I'm expecting you to look your best tonight."

"Was planning on it. Special occasion and all…" He turned his face away, blushing intensely.

"I'll have to dig mine out of the closet." Natsu mumbled, scratching the back of his head.

"Why do you need to dig it out? Last time I was at your place, it was in the front."

"Oh.. It's nothing!" with that, Natsu ran out of the building, turning back only to shout "I'll pick you up at 8!"

"I should head home and get ready too. I'll see you later Gajeel!" Levy ran off towards the fairy tail dorm rooms, as lucy followed close behind.

"Geuss… I'll go get ready too."

As Gajeel walked towards his apartment on the east side of magnolia, his thoughts drifted back to the first time he met Levy. It was a very sad memory for him. It was one of the few things that actually made him feel like crying… he had been sent by his former guild master, Jose, to make an example of a few Fairy Tail mages, and that's what he had done. He had hid in a nearby alleyway as he watched Levy turn down an invitation to some restaurant. At that time, he remembered thinking, how could that puny thing be a mage? As the two men turned to leave her alone, he approached cautiously. He had addressed her rudely, hey, you're Fairy Tail, right? she had giggled and said, isn't that obvious? The men were a few meters away by now, and he could've easily taken her down… but he had hesitated. Like she had said, it was painfully obvious which guild they each belonged to. Yet she had still smiled at him. He had thought, at the time, how naïve it was. He had told her the reason why he was there, and she panicked, tried to run, while the two men ran back to help her. He had caught her by the arm and pulled her back. After dealing with her teammates, he turned on her. He had done… such terrible things to her… but now, they were going on a date? What kind of girl was Levy? To be able to forgive abuse like that… she was holier than the holiest of saints…

As a tear streamed down his cheek, followed by another, and another, and countless more, he ran down a nearby alleyway, tripping over a bag of trash along the way. He pushed himself onto his hands and knees, tears dripping down onto the filthy ground. No matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't forgive himself, with her screams still haunting him some nights. It hurt to remember that day… "Damn you Levy… What have you done to me?"

Struggling to his feet, he dried his eyes and staggered the few remaining blocks back to his place, receiving curious stares from his neighbors. He tossed a few pieces of coin to the beggar outside his building, receiving a grateful handshake. After making his way up the stairs, he unlocked his door, entered and shut it behind him. Lumbering over to the closet, he dug around in the bottom, locating a box that read, "for emergencies only -Juvia"

Opening the box, he pulled out an elegant silk suit, tailored to fit his exact measurements. Juvia had had it custom made for him a long time ago. He had pretended not to care, but it meant a lot to him. Inside the box was another note, covering a small jar. It read, "For that messy hair of yours."

After Disrobing, he stepped into the shower, thoroughly washing his hair. It was difficult, as it had knots all in it. After he finished bathing, he stepped out and picked up his hair dryer, and dried his nappy mess of a mane. Using a special brush, also a gift from Juvia (one he had actually thanked her for), he untangled his hair slowly. After about two hours, he succeeded, and fetched the jar from the box, carefully reading the directions. Simple enough. But it wouldn't work. It was meant for someone with hair like Natsu's. he put on some pants and a shirt and trotted down the stairs towards a new neighbor that had taken a liking to his aggressive personality.

Sighing, he knocked on the door. After the shuffling of feet, and the clicking of four different locks, the door swung open wide. "Ah! Gajeel! Come to accept my invit-"

"No. Maggie, I kind of need you help. I have… a date with Levy McGarden tonight. Can you do something with… this?" he asked, gesturing at his head.

"I see. So that's why you seem different. All I can do is pull it back in a ponytail for you." she leaned against her doorframe. "But I've seen you do that yourself."

"I don't have anything to tie it with. Would you mind helping me?" he crossed his arms and shifted his weight. "I'll make it up to you somehow."

"I don't mind. And it's not something you need to worry about repaying. Come on in and I'll get started. What colors are you wearing tonight?"

"A Black suit -it may be a tuxedo, I have no idea since it was a gift- with a grey vest and tie." he looked around the colorful apartment in awe. He'd known that Maggie was a tailor, but her whole place was full of rolls of fabric and rolls of ribbon and thread, and there was no shortage of mannequins. As she emerged from a side room, she held up two ribbons, one black, with no decoration whatsoever, and the other one, black with grey frill along its edge.

"which do you like? I think the plain is more masculine, but the grey trimmed says, 'hey, I'm a pretty sensitive guy, despite the way I act and look.' but the choice is yours."

"Plain black. I don't do frilly things."

"All right, kneel right here, so I can reach your head easier." as he complied, she pulled a chair up behind him, plopping down, with her long legs stretched out on either side of him. After tugging and pulling, she managed to pull all of the thick, easily tangled mess into a decent position. Wrapping the ribbon around it near the nape of his neck, she tied the knot extra tight, and pat Gajeel on the head. "All done. You look very handsome."

"Thank you Maggie, I really appreciate this." he turned to leave, but a hand on his shoulder stopped him.

"I know you regret what happened, but if she loves you now, then you should be happy. If she and the rest of your guild has forgiven you, then maybe you should forgive yourself." her hand was shaken off as he walked away quickly, stopping at the corner.

"I'll… I'll try."

And with that, he jogged back up the stairs and quickly donned his (no doubt) expensive suit, making sure everything was on right, and left, locking the door behind him. Jogging down the stairs, he received several strange, but pleased glances from those he passed. Maggie had definitely thrown him for a loop, but that wasn't going to stand in his way.

Suddenly, he spotted a familiar blue winged cat drifting drown from above. "Gaaajeeeeelll! I almost didn't recognize you! Lucy wants you pick Levy up, and meet her and Natsu at Cardia cathedral."

"All right Happy. Tell her I'll be there as soon as possible."

"Aye, Sir!" with that, he flew off in the direction of Lucy's house.

It wasn't long before he was standing in front of the fairy tail girls' dorm building, feeling flustered and awkward. Stepping up to the front door, he knocked on it. Surprisingly, Erza opened the door, clad in a short white dress. She spoke first, "You're here to pick Levy up, right? She's almost ready. Come in, you can sit in the foyer."

"Is that really okay?" he glanced around as Erza ushered him over to a couch. All around he spotted girls ducking back into their rooms, some wearing scant pajamas, others just a towel. "I mean, what with everybody… you know."

"I do. As long as you don't do anything perverted, it's fine. Honestly, they aren't supposed to walk around the building like that." she sat down elegantly beside Gajeel, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Let me tell you something… if you hurt her, or do… those types of things against her will, I WILL kill you capisce? You and I both know I'm dead serious."

"Yeah… Just curious, who are you going with?" Gajeel leaned back and crossed his legs.

"The only one man enough to even ask me. Panther Lily…" she blushed and punched Gajeel in the arm when he chuckled. "What's so funny? Is it because he's a cat?"

"No, no… That's not it. I was just picturing you two dancing. At full size, he is taller than you, but what about when his magic runs out and he shrinks?"

"Then we will keep dancing. He can float after all."

Gajeel nodded in approval, smiling. It was a cute image after all, Erza dancing with small Panther…

"Stop smiling! Its not funny!"

"No. That's not why I'm smiling. It's just, imagining that scene, It's kind of adorable." he nudged her lightly with his elbow. "When will he get here?"

"In a few minutes. Honestly, It's still early for you to be here… I was a bit surprised. You're usually late for everything. And that hair, who helped you?"

"My neighbor. She's a genius with anything to do with fashion. Honestly, if she hadn-" he was cut off by a gasp from behind him.

"Gajeel? You're… wearing that suit…" the blue haired girl jogged around in front of them, looking Gajeel over head to toe. "Juvia can't believe it… She got you that suit 9 years ago…"

"Well, I would think that tonight is special enough occasion, I need to wear it." he stood up, and twirled in place, feeling good after being praised by everyone. "It's a bit snug around the arms, but that's the only problem."

"Ju-Juvia will go see if Levy is ready! Be right back!" as she ran off to fetch Gajeel's date, Erza just stared at him.

"You're… Different than before, Gajeel."

"What do you mean? I'm the same as I've always been."

"No… Before you joined us, and even for a while after, you were so cold, you frightened everyone. But now, you've become so close to everyone… and even Levy has come to like you most of all, despite what happened between you two… if you had told me this would happen when you joined, I would have laughed my ass off! I'm really happy for you metal head."

"Thanks. That means a lot. I'm gla-"

"Juvia is back with levy!"

"Really… Again…" this made Erza laugh, but regardless, he stood up and met Levy's admiring eyes with confidence. Well, he tried, but one look at Levy evaporated all his courage.

She was beautiful. She wore a short, black, open back dress, that accentuated her long, slender legs, but it wasn't so short that it looked trashy. Her high heels made her stand a bit taller than usual. Overall, Gajeel was speechless. He couldn't form a single word, much less a compliment. But she too looked speechless.

"Gajeel, you… look amazing… what happened to your hair?" she tentatively stepped forward and touched the collar of his suit. "I… I like this version of you. You seem so… different."

"You look even better… I-" a sharp knock at the door cut him off, causing him to cast a glare in it's direction.

The door was pulled open and a large Panther Lily strode in, dressed in a black suit, with a red vest and tie. "Gajeel?! I didn't know you would be here!"

Levy stepped up beside Gajeel, grabbed his arm and tugged him towards the door. "Come on, Lucy is waiting for us. If we don't hurry, they will leave us behind."

"All right, but you don't have to pull me away." he stepped up beside her, and held out his arm for her to take.

As she took a hold of Gajeel, she looked up at him, pouting. "If I hadn't, you would've stayed there chatting with Erza and Panther and Juvia… I want you to stay with me tonight."

"Levy… you don't have to worry about that. I'll follow you wherever you go. Tonight, whenever." he looked down at her and smiled warmly.

Blushing, she looked down, muttering something to herself; it sounded like something akin to 'That's all I wanted to here...' After a while, she pointed ahead, at Cardia cathedral. There in front of the ebtrance were Natsu and Lucy, both dressed in formal wear. Levy waved as they drew closer, shouting greetings. Natsu was wearing a suit he had never seen before, black with red pinstripes. His hair had even been gelled back. He looked completely different.

As t hey drew closer, Natsu laughed. "Looks like I'm not the only one wearing a special suit tonight." patting Gajeel on the back, he turned to Lucy. "You wanna tell them what's going on?"

"Sure. First, there's a party here at the cathedral, then there's a concert in under the cherry blossom tree. After that, there'll be fireworks over the city. You'll be able to see them from anywhere in the city, so you can just stay by the tree if you want. I just wanted to let you guys know what the schedule was. C'mon Natsu, let's dance!"

As they ran off, leaving Gajeel and Levy alone, the silence grew awkward. Gajeel decided to speak up. "Would you… like to dance too?"

"Yeah… Let's go."

The party was pleasant, and though Gajeel was a failure as a dancer, he managed not to step on any toes. He saw Laxus dancing With (oddly)Lisanna, and nearby, was Elfman and Evergreen. Off to the side, a loud _poof_ resonated, and he spotted Panther shrink into in miniature form. Sure enough, Erza pulled him close, and they continued dancing. Juvia and Gray laughed at them, prompting Erza to shoot them the bird, which prompted everyone else to laugh. Even Natsu was dancing, holding Lucy so close, that she had to rest her chin on his shoulder. Gajeel watched as she pulled back, smiled at Natsu, then kissed him gently, causing his eyes to widen. It was everyone's perfect evening, with romance, humor, music… He felt something heavy against his chest, and glanced down to see Levy's head resting against it.

After that, they spent probably four hours on the floor, holding each other close, not caring about anything around them. All that mattered was what was happening in their personal space. It wasn't until the music stopped and everyone started clearing out, that they separated, turning away from each other, blushing madly. But, regardless, Levy smiled when Gajeel held out his hand for her to hold.

They walked off towards the concert together, hand in hand. Neither said a word until they reached the plaza where the cherry tree resided. The band had already started playing by the time they got there, and people all around were cheering and shouting at the top of their lungs. Gajeel found the enviroment ideal, but when Levy squeezed his hand, he looked down to see her mouth the words 'too loud.' With a nod, they turned and went off into town. They didn't get far when, much do Gajeel's displeasure, a certain speedster and fatso interrupted their stroll.

Seeing Levy holding hands with his least favorite guild mate, Jet's brow furrowed and he pulled Droy away into a nearby shop. Watching them out of the window, he could feel his blood boil. It wasn't fair! Gajeel… he'd never even shown an interest in Levy until the S-class exams! Jet had cared for her since the forming of team Shadow Gear! Why… why him? Slamming his fist into the wall, he cursed the dragon slayer for stealing her away from him. Feeling a hand against his shoulder, he turned to see Droy's dopy face, full of concern. "Don't worry, I'm fine."

"That's a lie. Levy made her choice, and there's nothing we can do about it now. "

"Yeah I know… But I still don't like it."

Meanwhile, Levy and Gajeel made their way towards the center of town, talking about nothing in particular, when the subject of his suit came up.

"By the way, when did you have time to get a suit like this?"

"I've had it for a long time. It was a gift from Juvia during my later days in phantom lord. I never got the chance wear it, because… well, it was right before the war between the guilds. Right after I got it, I was given… those orders." he replied, looking away, ashamed of his past.

"Say it."

"What?" When he looked back at her, she had her gaze turned to the ground, and a frown adorned her lips.

"I want you to say what the orders where."

"Why?!" he asked, pulling his hand out of hers, and taking a few steps back.

"Just do it. I want to hear you say it." A single tear ran down her cheek, and she turned away from him. "Just tell me what the stupid orders where!"

"I… I was ordered to teach Fairy Tail a lesson, to send you a message."

"And that message was?"

"That Phantom lord was stronger, and we could easily wipe you out."

"But you couldn't." hearing a thud, she turned back towards Gajeel, who had fallen down to his hands and knees, his shoulders shaking violently. While Levy was taken aback, she didn't show it. "Our guild defeated yours, and they rescued Lucy, right?"

"Why… Why are you doing this to me? Is this punishment? Is this revenge for hurting you and Jet and Droy?"

"No."

"Then why? Tell ME!" he looked up to see her face close to his, as her hands came to cup his cheeks.

"Because, I wanted you to know that I had forgotten about that nonsense. I've left it in the past, were it belongs. And you need to let it go too." she whispered, as she pulled his head into her arms. "I think it's time you forgave yourself. Everyone else has."

Drying his eyes, he stood up, and smiled at Levy. "That was cold. But I'm glad you did it. I still have nightmares about that day, and I've been terrified you hadn't forgiven me. I guess I'm the only one who hasn't, huh?"

"That's right. And if you don't, I'll start kicking you in the shin until you do!" she said, laughing with her hands on her hips.

"There's no need for that. I think I can manage now… but there is one thing I have to tell you." he took a deep breath, steadying his nerves, and looked his date square in the eyes. "I lo-"

He was cut off by a loud boom over head, signaling the start of the fireworks. "What'd you say?"

"Damn it! Every time I try to say something tonight! Screw it!" grabbing Levy by the shoulders, he pulled her close, and shouted to her, "Levy McGarden! I LOVE YOU!"

Her face bore a shocked expression, and she just stood there in his grasp. Suddenly, it sank in, and her eyes started to tear up, and she screamed back at him, "I love you too Gajeel!"

She leaned up to kiss him, and pointed to the top of Cardia cathedral. He looked back to her and nodded, as she wrapped her arms around his neck, so he could pick her up. Jumping to the top of a fence, he clutched his new lover tightly, and leapt to the edge of the cathedral's roof, quickly sprinting towards the highest part. It was there that he placed Levy back onto her feet and held her hand while they watched the fireworks. After a few minutes, he leaned down towards Levy, and gently kissed her, pulling her body close to his. Her face was slightly red, but she stared intensely into his eyes, and kissed him again, much harder, putting her arms against his chest, and clutching his suit's collar tightly. They stayed like that for god knows how long; at least until the fire works ended. When the separated, she was breathing heavily, and he was smiling wickedly. "Damn… Didn't know you had it in you…"

"We're gonna catch hell from everyone in the guild about this, Gajeel…" she leaned her head against his chest, which rumbled as he chuckled.

"Do you think that bothers me? I caught hell from the guild when I _joined it_! This is something I would wade through oceans for, if it means being with you… a little hazing from everyone isn't going to bother me at all."

"I just wanna be sure. I've had men leave before… because the guild picked on them…" she looked down at the roof, sighing lightly.

"Do you really think that's going to happen with me? I'm IN the guild… I know how they can be." he said, smiling warmly at her, and placed a hand on the back of her head. "I'm here now, and I'm never leaving. Ever."

"That's all I wanted to hear. Can we go back down now? Me legs feel a little wobbly…" she chuckled, though she was entirely serious.

"Sure thing." hoisting her up into his arms, he leapt straight off the edge on the cathedral's roof, causing Levy to squeal as they plummeted to the ground. Landing squarely on his feet, he grinned playfully. "Did I scare you?"

"YES! Never do that again!"

"Sorry."

"It's fine… um… Gajeel? Can I stay the night at your house? I want to stay with you, but boys aren't allowed in the dorm rooms…" she blushed, burying he face into his chest. "It's just, I don't want tonight to end… so please, let me stay with you."

"All right. Let's go. It's not far from here." as he lowered her to the ground, her legs trembled, and she fell to her knees.

"Can you.. Ahem.. Carry me? Please?"

With out a word, he smiled, hoisted Levy into his arms, and together, they headed straight for his house.

As they silently approached the apartment complex, Gajeel could feel Levy's breathing growing soft and even. Smiling, he looked down lovingly at her adorable sleeping face, so contently nestled against his chest. Stepping through the open main door, he received a mischievous smile from Maggie, who some how knew _exactly _where he wanted this to go. As he slowly ascended the stairs, Maggie dashed along beside him, quickly fishing his keys from his pocket. "I'll get the door," she whispered, and quickly trotted off to do just that. By the time they reached his place, the neighbor had already left, leaving his keys in the door, and the door wide open.

Slowly entering the home, he took Levy straight to his room, and laid her down in his queen size bed. As he did so, he spotted a sock hanging from the back of a nearby chair. It was then that he noticed just how filthy his home was. So that was what he would do while Levy was asleep. Quickly and quietly, he set about the task of cleaning the small, single person apartment. It didn't take long, abut thirty minutes at the most. A quick of the area to double check that he had gotten everything, and he returned to his room, and sat silently on the bed's side.

Levy still rested soundly, her small chest undulating with each delicate breath. She laid in such a way that her legs were folded, and her knees met in the air, while her arms found their place against her waist, leaving her hands to rest on her slim stomach. But what really caught his eye, was her dress. He hadn't noticed earlier, but her dress had fallen away from he legs, revealing a small portion of her backside. It was... alluring, to say the least. Try as he might, he couldn't look away from her. He found himself reaching towards her dress's hem, intending to pull it up further. But he stopped himself. This wasn't how this needed to happen. She... would show him when she was ready.

Suddenly, she shifted her position, rolling over to face away from him, and curling up into a little ball. This did _nothing_ to help Gajeel's predicament, as it forced her dress further above her ass. She was wearing scant lacy black panties, something he would have never expected from her.

He could feel his heartbeat getting faster, stronger. He started to stand and leave the room, only to be stopped by a small hand catching a hold of his wrist. "Where ya goin? I said I wanted to stay with you tonight..."

"Sorry I... uh, I wasn't sure if..." It was impossible for him to form a proper sentence now.

"Look, I said 'with you.' Do you know what that means?" as Gajeel looked away, Levy let out a heavy sigh, and rose to her knees. "It means, 'get your ass over here so I can be with you!'" With that, she gave his arm a hard tug, effectively making him lose his balance and fall into the bed. Once they settled, Levy found herself on top, straddling Gajeels waist, leaning forward on her hands, which found their place against his stomach. "Now, watcha gonna do? You're not getting away from me."

"I didn't want to, I just wanted to make sure I didn't do something wrong..." Grabbing her waist, he pulled her down to lay against his chest, causing her to fold he arms under her. "I didn't know if you were ready for me to touch you like that yet."

"You big dummy... I wasn't even asleep. Well, I was at first, but then I felt you sit down, and I felt like I should tease you a little." giggling, she started fiddling with his shirt buttons. After getting a few undone, she moved to his tie, making quick work of it. Leaning back, she undid the rest of his buttons. With his shirt open, she could see just how muscular he really was. Much like Natsu, he had abs galore, and his chest was rock hard. His arms were toned to perfection, and his sides were just as hard as his chest.

"Well I, uh..."

"Jeez Gajeel, you really are clueless." pushing the shirt over his shoulders, Levy leaned back down to kiss her lover passionately. After a few moments, they separated, breathing heavily. "You've got your new girlfriend sitting on top of you, and you haven't even grabbed her ass yet!"

"Levy... Let's not do this now." at her shocked expression, he elaborated. "Look, I want to do it, but... I wanna wait. I don't want to move too fast, is all."

"You're kidding me... I was worried you'd expect it right off the bat!" sighing, she rolled off and came to rest beside him. "Not to mention, I can see that beast of yours through your pants; I'm pretty sure it would rip me in half."

"HA! Probably would!" he said, then rolled to face Levy. It was then a thought crossed his mind. "But it really isn't fair that I'm the only one bare chested. we should get this off of you." he whispered, and tugged playfully at the hem of her dress.

"F-Fine. But you have to take off your pants, if we're being fair here." she stood up, slowly pulling the strap, which ran around behind her neck, over her head. Letting the dress fall, she looked back over her shoulder. "Hurry up! take them off!"

"I'm doin it..." with a sigh, he stood up, and unceremoniously dropped his pants. Turning back towards Levy, he grinned and held his arms out to the side. "Ta-da!"

She still faced away from him, looking over her shoulder. Her face was beet red, and she held her arms over her chest. "Just to warn you... I'm not much to look at naked."

"I think you look fine. Come on, turn around." when she shook her head, he chuckled then said, "Do I need to come over there?"

"NO! I... I'll turn around... Just don't laugh at me..."

"I would never."

With a sigh, she turned around and slowly lowered her arms. "I know, I'm not really sexy..."

"I think you're perfect." It was true. While every thing about her was small, it was all evenly proportioned. Her breasts were small and perky, as was her ass, while her arms, legs, and waist were slender, but well toned. Her shoulders curved down elegantly from her neck. Her skin was a very light, creamy color, which contrasted well with her cobalt hair, and it had very few blemishes on it. There were scars here and there, but none really stood out much. All in all, she was likely the most beautiful woman he'd ever laid eyes on.

"S-stop staring... It's embarrassing." she said as she moved to cover herself but Gajeel stopped her.

"Don't. You're beautiful." He started walking around to the other side of the bed, but when he was about 6 feet away, Levy stumbled back and turned towards the bed and attempted to flee over it. Her escape was cut short when Gajeel put one hand on her shoulder, and gently pulled her back towards him. "In fact, you're one of the most, if not, THE most beautiful woman I've ever seen. You better not ever doubt that."

"You don't have to lie to me... I know I have the body of a chil- EEP!" she squealed as Gajeel wrapped his arms around her shoulders, using one arm to hold her and the other's hand to tilt her chin so the she was looking at his face.

"If you're a child, then I must be a pedophile..." leaning down, he kissed her lightly, pulling back after a moment. "And I'm pretty sure we're neither of those things. C'mon, lets go to bed."

"A-Alright. But... kiss me again... like you just did. It's different, and I kind of liked it..."

"Heh. Sure thing." Pulling his arm tighter, he held Levy close to him, and leaned down once more and kissed her. The kiss quickly gained speed, and Levy soon was breathing heavily as she squirmed around in Gajeel's arms, turning so she could face him. Lacing her fingers together behind his neck, Levy pulled Gajeel forward until they fell onto the bed. It was then that Levy wrapped her legs around his waist, and pulled his hips closer to her own.

Breaking the kiss momentarily, Gajeel found himself nearly breathless, with his heart pounding on the walls of his chest. Speaking of chests, the ragged rise and fall of his partner's caused her breasts to jiggle slightly from her uneven breath. He couldn't resist. Looping an arm around her waist, he lifted Levy up, turned around and sat down with her in his lap. Sliding his left hand down, it came to rest on her firm ass, while his right slid up to cup her small, yet soft breast, right over her heart.

The contact of his hand on her chest made her shiver, as it sent a small wave of pleasure through her body. She could feel herself coming to a point were she could no longer take it, as though her lust was building up behind a dam that was about to be blown open, and Gajeel had lit the dynamite himself. Wanting more, she pushed her tongue forward slightly against his lips, which immediately opened to allow her access. As she explored his mouth, she felt his own tongue slip into her mouth, and gently explore the uncharted territory. The fuse was near its end, and the dam was about to be demolished... she could feel him, pressed between her legs, begging to be let in. Slowly, she began to rock her hips back and forth, and the meat pressed so hard against her responded, twitching with every stroke.

A loud thud sounded throughout the house, but the two lovers didn't hear it. Lost in each other, they were completely oblivious to their surroundings, even as a second thud sounded. They only returned to reality when a crash came from the living room and the front door was sent crashing to the other side of the room. "GAAAAJEEEEELL! Where the HELL ARE you?!"

The raging red-haired mage came bursting into the apartment, still clad in her white dress, and brandishing her generic single handed sword. Gajeel spoke first. "Erza! What are you doing here?"

"Happy sent me! Said he saw you carrying Levy unconscious back to your place! WHAT were you two doing?!"

"Jeez Erza I was just asleep then and I _asked_ him if I could spend the night. And um... We were just kissing..."

"Oh... Well why are you almost naked? HUH?"

"She started it. OW!"

"Way to have my back!" then she burst out in an uncontrollable fit of laughter. The situation was just too hilarious not to. Catching her breath, she continued, "It's true though, I was asleep and he was about to leave the room so he wouldn't be tempted to do anything bad. But I stopped him and pulled him onto the bed and ripped open his shirt. then things escalated to this point."

"HOLY shit Gajeel are you okay?! I heard..." Maggie came rushing through the open door and stopped when she saw Gajeel and Levy on the bed. "I... Oh my... um... I'll... just be... I'm leaving now..." As she attempted to dash outa the house, Erza grabbed her by the shoulder. She somewhat shakily turned towards her captor. "Y-yes?"

"Gajeel says you are good with fashion. Are you a tailor?"

"I am..." she hesitated, then continued. "You got some clothes that need mending?"

"Yes. A lot."

"I'd be happy to help."

"Glad to hear it! you can go now."

As she ran out of the room, Erza laughed, then turned back towards the couple. "Sorry about bursting in like that. I'm a bit overprotective of the Fairy Tail girls... I'll leave you two alone then." before she left, she turned and added, "you two really should wait."

"We will. Don't worry Erza, he won't do anything I don't want."

"All right. I'll come by tomorrow with a change of clothes for you." and with that she left, leaving them alone once more.

"So... what now?"

"'How about... we just go to sleep? I'm a little exhausted for all that's happened today." As if to prove her point she yawned and stretched her arms up. After cautiously untangling herself from Gajeel, she flopped down on the bed, soon followed by her lover. "But I'm glad that today was so exhausting. Now we can be together, and nobody can tell us otherwise."

"Yeah... I'm glad too. I'm happy that you feel the same... but I'm tired too. Let's sleep." he said, wrapping his arms around Levy's waist, then pulled her close. With the two curled up, they quickly dozed off, after Gajeel lazily pulled the covers over them. Their slumber was sound and undisturbed, until the next morning.


End file.
